MotoGP: Casey Stoner Diet Woes

Beating Valentino Rossi by five-hundredths of a second during the final round of pre-season testing was a huge accomplishment for Casey Stoner, giving the Australian optimism going into the 2010 MotoGP season.

But the Ducati Marlboro rider has one obstacle ahead of him: sticking to a lactose-free diet while traveling the world during competition.

The 24-year-old was diagnosed lactose intolerant after struggling with severe fatigue during last year’s championship. Following a rough 14th-place finish during MotoGP’s final meeting at Donington Park due to running rain tires on a dry track, Stoner’s doctors kept him out of action for the next three races. Stoner would miss Brno, Indianapolis and Misano, a rest period to give his body some rest.

After missing the races, Stoner dropped from second to fourth in the point standings. Upon coming back, he finished second at Estoril, first at Phillip Island and Sepang, but he didn’t start in the final round at Valencia after high-siding during the warm-up lap. Stoner finished the ’09 MotoGP Championship in fourth.

Stoner recently told the media it’s hard to stick to lactose-free foods while traveling, so he plans on bringing additional food with him.

The first of 18 races will be on April 11 at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, the same track where Stoner beat out Rossi in final pre-season testing.